FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Environmental experts addressed the Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors Wednesday, explaining what sorts of sustainable bells and whistles the savvy homebuyer is looking for these days.
“Solar is the new granite countertop,”
said Bob Wall, associate director of marketing and outreach at Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, or CEFIA.
Workers for SolarCity installing solar panels (Image: JE Flores/NYTimes)
Homes on the market with existing solar panels, modern insulation and sustainable landscaping are getting noticed by a new breed of buyers, he and others said.
About 300 homes in Fairfield currently use some form of solar cells, said Scott Thompson, chairman of the town’s Clean Energy Task Force. When the town announced its Solarize Fairfield initiative recently, about 75 homeowners signed up to learn more.
“It’s really incredible what’s happening,” he said.
Last year, an AP environmental science class at Fairfield Warde High School studied about 16,300 rooftops in town — via Google — to see which would be good candidates for solar cells. The town sent letters to about 5,500 homes that fit the criteria, Thompson said.
The next informational workshop will be held at 7 p.m., April 28, at the Fairfield Public Library.
Elizabeth DiSalvo is an architect at Trillium Architects, which won the 2016 CT Green Building Council’s Award of Excellence. She said her firm focuses on building homes that are energy efficient, sustainable and healthy.
She promoted the idea of “greening” the multiple listings services by letting buyers know if a home boasts state-of-the-art water, heating, cooling and air-quality features.
“We care passionately about this,” she said.
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